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Myanmar Steam Locomotive Tour
The railways of Myanmar suffered considerably during the times of
WW 2.Japanese occupation in 1942 and the subsequent recapture of the
country by the Allies in 1944-45 resulted in great deal of damage to
the truck and locomotives. During the Japanese occupation a number
of 3ft 6in gauge engines from Japan were adjusted to run on Myanmar
,while during 1944-46 the allied forces brought in additional stock.
After the war, large order were placed with British manufactures,
those types being in fact standard pre-war designs. From 1957
onwards, only diesel locomotives were ordered. In the course of time, steams locomotives are getting extinct in the
world today. But in Myanmar about over 20 steam locos are in service
for mankind everyday. This is an opportunity to see them in their
action for international steam enthusiasts. I do believe that this
opportunity will not last forever. Steam locos YB/YC/YD were
converted to oil firing started around 1962. Tour Programs
Steam Locomotive Tour to Kyaikhtiyo
– Mawlamyaing (Moulmein) – Thazi – Mandalay – Pyin Oo Lwin –
Bagan – Yangon
 Day – 01: Yangon arrival
Arrive at Yangon International Airport to be welcomed upon
arrival by your gracious tour guide. Transfer and check into
your hotel. In the afternoon, take a tour of Yangon including a
photo stop at Karaweik Hall (named after a sacred mythological
bird) which is a royal barge floating in Kandawgyi ("Royal")
Lake and then stop at the Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda (Reclining Buddha)
a colossal reclining Buddha (which is only surpassed in size by
the one in Bago). Later that afternoon, visit to the city center
and see the gilded 2,500 year-old Sule Pagoda (a magnificent
octagonal golden pagoda which is said to enshrine a hair of
Buddha). Then, you will visit the beautiful colonial-style
buildings surrounding Mahabandula Park, take a tour of the Naga
(hand blown) Glass Factory and stroll through the quaint and
narrow streets of Chinatown including the short visit to Tao
Temple. Spend the night at your hotel in Yangon.
Day – 02: Steam trip and Insein Railway
Workshop
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to
the Yangon train station for a short trip on the Yangon circle
line pulled by a steam locomotive. You will also go to the
Insein Railway Workshop where all Myanmar's steam locomotives
are repaired. After lunch, you will visit the Botahtaung Pagoda
and then be taken to the Nanthida jetty where you watch the
traffic on the Yangon River. At the end of the day, shortly
before sunset, you will be enjoy the effect of the soft early
evening light reflecting off of the golden stupa of Shwedagon
Pagoda (which is 107 meters high). Spend the night in your hotel
in Yangon.
Day – 03: Steam train from Yangon – Bago –
Kyaikhtiyo
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the
Yangon train station where you will take a trip on special steam
locomotive train to Bago for sightseeing where you will see: the
Kyakhatwine Monastery where there is a procession of a thousand
monks (who take their meal every day at 10 AM in total silence),
the Kanbawza Thardi Palace (built by Bayinnaung), the Shwemawdaw
Pagoda and the Shwethalyaung Pagoda (the world's most beautiful
reclining Buddha). Then you will proceed on a very scenic
locomotive train that is powered by Pacific Yangon (that runs
between the mountains and the sea) to Kyaikhto. You will stop
for lunch at a local Kyaikhto restaurant. Then, you will then be
driven to Kinpun, where the pilgrimage road runs 10 kilometers
to the 1,200 meter-high pagoda on the famous Golden Rock. You
will be transported by truck to a camp, which is only
approximately a one-hour walk to the Golden Rock. You will visit
the Golden Rock in the soft light of late afternoon, which is
the best time for taking pictures there. Spend the night at your
hotel in Kyaikhtiyo.
Day – 04: Steam train then ferry to
Mawlamyaing
After breakfast at your hotel, you will rejoin the steam
locomotive train at Kyaikhto to continue along this highly
scenic line to Mottama, when you will board a ferry that crosses
the estuary to Mawlamyaing. Spend the night at your hotel in
Mawlamyaing.
Day – 05: Mawlamyaing the death Railway
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the
Mawlamyaing Station, which was a terminus of the infamous
Burma-Siam Railway, also known as the "Death Rail Way," by the
thousands of Allied prisoners of World War II (POWs) and Asian
forced laborers who were forced by the Japanese military to
build it. It was connected with the famous "Bridge on the River
Kwai" located in Thailand. You will depart the Mawlamyaing
Station aboard a special train arranged for our group to visit
the Second World War Memorial Cemetery in Thanbyuzayut. You will
return to Mawlamyaing by train for lunch and will then be taken
on a guided tour of this old colonial city. Spend the night in
your hotel in Mawlamyaing.
Day – 06: ferry and steam to Mottama
After breakfast at your hotel, you will take a morning ferry
across the Thanlwin River to Mottama where your train will be
waiting for you for a journey to Kyaikhto. You will stop in
Kyaikhto for lunch at local restaurant. You will rejoin the
train after lunch to travel by coach to Bago. Upon arrival, you
will have dinner and will spend the night at your hotel in Bago.
Day – 07: overnight steam to Thazi
After breakfast at your hotel, you will begin your steam
locomotive journey to Thazi that includes 5 BTE sleepers (you
will sleep on the train for 1 night). A satisfying lunch will be
provided on the train. You will have dinner in the town of
Taungoo where we will change engines from a YC class Pacific to
a YD 2-8-2 (there will be time to visit the steam locomotive
shed at Bago before we depart).
Day – 08: steam Thazi to Mandalay
You will have breakfast as you depart Thazi on the train powered
by an YC Pacific engine or an YD 2-8-2 engine. There will be
some photo stops during the journey. Your train trip will end at
the Grand Terminus Station in Mandalay in the mid afternoon. You
will be transferred to your hotel in Mandalay where you will
spend the night.
Day – 09: Mandalay – Amarapura sightseeing
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to
Amarapura, an ancient capital of Myanmar, which was founded in
the 18th century. You will visit the Mahagandayon Monastery to
observe the daily lives of the Buddhist monks who live there.
Next, you will visit U Bein Bridge (a teak bridge, which is the
longest wooden bridge in the world) and the Bagaya Monastery
with its famous collection of Buddhist images. You will then
take a lunch break at a local restaurant. After lunch, you will
be driven to the Mahamuni Pagoda (Mandalay’s most fabled pagoda
built in 1784 by King Bodawpaya to house the Mahamuni Image)
and, then, you will visit the tapestry making home cottage,
marble carving workshop, gold-leaf pounding workshop and the
silk weaving factory. Next, you will be taken to the Kyauktawgyi
Pagoda, which has a large Buddha image carved out of a single
block of marble, to the Shwenandaw Monastery (Golden Palace)
noted for its exquisite woodcarvings, and to the Kuthodaw Pagoda
known as the World's Biggest Book for its stone slabs of
Buddhist scriptures. In the evening, enjoy the sunset from
Mandalay Hill with the panoramic view of Mandalay below. Spend
the night at your hotel in Mandalay. As an alternative, you have
the option of taking a specially powered train from Mandalay to
Madaya and back powered by a YD Mikado or a YC Pacific.
Day – 10: Steam and diesel to Pyin Oo Lwin
After breakfast at your hotel, you will rejoin the train at
Mandalay Station. It will be steam locomotive to Zibingyi where
the train will be changed to a diesel engine for the winding
trip to Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo). You will get off the train for
lunch at local restaurant and tour of this well-known British
hill resort. The most interesting places for see in Pyin Oo Lwin
are: the National Kandawgyi Park, the Chinese Temple, the Pwe
Kauk Waterfall and the Peik Chin Myaung Cave. In the evening,
you will take the train back to back to Mandalay. Spend the
night in your hotel in Mandalay.
Day – 11: Ayeyarwaddy cruise Mandalay to
Bagan
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to a
jetty for full day tour by boat from Mandalay to Bagan along the
fascinating Ayeyarwaddy River. You will have lunch in a
restaurant onboard and dinner at a restaurant in Bagan. Spend
the night at your hotel in Bagan.
Day – 12: Bagan full day sightseeing
After breakfast at your hotel, you will have a full day of
sightseeing including a visit to the colorful Nyaung U Market,
to the Shwezigon Pagoda (with its magnificent golden stupa), to
the Htilominlo Temple (noted for its fine plaster carvings and
glazed stone decoration) and to the Gubyaukgyi Temple (with its
superb mural paintings of jataka scenes). Next, you will visit
the Myinkaba Village where you will observe the Traditional
Lacquer-ware Industry, which is one of Myanmar's best-known
handicrafts. Your tour will continue to the Manuha Temple,
erected over huge Buddha-images and to the Ananda Temple, an
architectural masterpiece and an excellent example of an
early-style Myanmar temple with four impressive standing Buddha
images. Next, you will be taken to the Thabinnyu Temple, the
highest temple in Bagan and, last but not least, to the
Dhamayangyi Temple noted for its remarkable brickwork. Cap off a
perfect day by enjoying the dramatic sunset from the terrace of
Shwesandaw Pagoda. Spend the night at your hotel in Bagan.
Day – 13: Steam train Bagan – Kaukpadaung
– Bagan
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to
the Bagan train station for a special train (powered by a YC
Pacific) that will take you on this steeply graded route to
Kaukpadaung. Upon arrival, the train will turn around and take
you on the scenic route through the hills to Chauk along the
Ayeyarwaddy River. From Chauk, you will be transferred to a
privately chartered boat for a trip up the Ayeyarwaddy River
back to Bagan. As an alternative, you have the option of
spending the day exploring Bagan with a local guide. Spend the
night in your hotel in Bagan.
Day – 14: Bagan – Yangon
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be free in the morning
to explore Bagan. After lunch, you will be transferred to the
Bagan airport for your flight to Yangon. You will have dinner at
a local restaurant and will spend the night at your hotel
Yangon.
Day – 15: Yangon shopping & departure.
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be taken to the Gems
Mart and Handicrafts shops for morning shopping. You will also
be taken to the Bogyoke Aung San Market (well known for gems &
jewelry, arts & crafts, fabrics & fashions and local products)
where you can buy you last-minute souvenirs. You will then be
transferred to airport for your departure.
Myanmar Mines railway in
Namtu
 Day – 1. Yangon (Arrival)
Arrive at Yangon International Airport to be welcomed upon
arrival by your gracious tour guide. Transfer and check into
your hotel. If your arrival time permits, you will start you
sightseeing of Yangon. Spend the night at your hotel in Yangon.
Day – 2. Yangon –Mandalay (by flight)
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven around
Yangon’s city center to see the gilded 2,500 year-old Sule
Pagoda (a magnificent octagonal golden pagoda which is said to
enshrine a hair of Buddha), to the City Hall and through the
busy downtown. You will also visit the Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda
(Reclining Buddha) a colossal reclining Buddha (which is only
surpassed in size by the one in Bago). In the early afternoon,
you will be driven to the Yangon airport for your flight to
Mandalay. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel
where you will check in. Spend the night at your hotel in
Mandalay.
Day – 3. Mandalay - Lashio – Namtu
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven on a private
tour coach to Namtu (through Lashio), which takes about ten
hours. You will stop along the way at Gokteik where you will see
the Gokteik Viaduct, which was built in 1901 to 1913 by an
American engineering company. It was constructed of steel
trestles for the railway line to Lashio. It is 2,260 feet long
and was built between two 550-foot high cliffs above a deep
valley. Although the viaduct was bombed and damaged during World
War II, it was later repaired. The engineering of the bridge is
considered to be a masterpiece by world standards. Mr. Paul
Theroux described the viaduct in his book "The Great Railway
Bizarre" as "a monster of silver geometry in all the ragged rock
and jungle---its presence was bizarre." Upon arrival in Namtu,
you will spend the night at the Railways Guesthouse.
Day – 4. Namtu- Bawtwin- Namtu (by narrow gauge loco)
After breakfast at the Railways Guesthouse, you will see the
only running steam locomotives left in the world by visiting the
Locomotive Shed at Namtu, Kerr Stuart 0-4-2T No.13 (2384/1914)
and Bagnall 2-6-2 No. 42 (2238/1927). It is here that several
number 42 saddle-tanks were dumped in the upper yard and into
the bushes, as well as boilers and various other junked parts.
You will observe engine No 13 as it starts up. Then, you will
depart by a narrow gauge train to the Tiger Camp. Your
destination will be Bawtwin, but, first, you will go to the
Tiger Camp, which is 7 miles and 800 ft. higher up than Namtu.
You will see a small working electric locomotive at the Tiger
Camp. As you will leave the main river, you will start the climb
up a narrow valley for a lunch stop at the camp. After lunch,
you will proceed to the Bawtwin mining area by a diesel engine
train. The main line to Bawtwin is reached via Lashio. It was
constructed in March 1903 as part of Burma Mines, Railway and
Smelting Co. Ltd. Access to the Tiger Camp mining area was not
possible until the end of 1908, the year that three North
British 0-6-0s took over operation of the main line. Namtu
became the railway headquarters. It is located 38.4 miles from
the Lashio line. You will return to Namtu by diesel train. You
will have dinner and spend the night at the Myanma Railways
Guesthouse.
Day – 5. Namtu – Lashio
After breakfast at the Railways Guesthouse, you will depart by a
locomotive to travel approximately 2 miles for a stop at an old
Japanese mill site. You will then travel by diesel train to the
Nammyo Station for a lunch stop. This will be a good place to
take more photos of Bagnall 2-6-2 No. 42. After lunch at Nammyo,
you will take the diesel train back 13 miles to the Nasaing,
where you will be greeted by the private tour coach, which will
take you to Lashio, which takes about two hours. Spend the night
at your hotel in Lashio.
Day – 6. Lashio – Mandalay (coach)
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven on the private
tour coach to Mandalay, which takes about eight hours. As an
alternative, you have the option of traveling to Mandalay by
passenger train crossing over famous Gokehtaik Viaduct by 32
down between the hours of 05:30-19:50. You will pass by some
beautiful scenery on this train route.
Tour name- An expedition in Steam Loco
photography
 Day – 1. Yangon
Arrive at Yangon International Airport to be welcomed upon
arrival by your gracious tour guide. Transfer and check into
your hotel. If your arrival time permits, you will take a
sightseeing tour of Yangon. Spend the night at your hotel in
Yangon.
Day – 2. Yangon-Bago
After breakfast at your hotel, you will visit the Insein
Locomotive Shed (the only one that is used for general overhaul
of locomotives). In the afternoon, you will be driven to Bago
(the steam locomotive center of Myanmar), which takes about an
hour-and-a-half. You will be taken to the Bago Train Station to
get last minute information about the locomotives running on the
line, especially about the stone train (which runs
unpredictably). In the evening, you will take a locomotive to
Bago (assuming the locomotive is running). Spend the night at
your hotel in Bago.
Day – 3. Bago- Kyaikhto
After breakfast at your hotel, you will take a passenger train
from Bago to Nyaungkhashe, which is a distance of 38 km. The
train departs Nyaungkhashe at 10:30 AM and goes to the Chimney
first. For the first part of the tracking, it will be necessary
to wait at the Kali level with a crossing. Next, you will
continue by train to the Waw station for a stop. There, it will
be necessary to drive off road about 2 miles. Next, you will
take the famous stone train between Bago and Zingyaik. You will
stop at Kyaikhto, which is located between Bago and Zingyaik
quarry. Spend the night at your hotel in Kyaikhto.
Day – 4. Around Kyaikhto
After breakfast at your hotel, you will again track on the
stone train. During the day, you will make a stop for a visit to
the Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda (also known as Golden Rock Pagoda), which
is one of the most famous pagodas in this region and is the
crown jewel of the Mon State. It is located high in the forested
mountains above the Mon capital, Mawlamyaing. The Golden Rock
Pagoda is a small stupa measuring only 5.5 meters high,
enthroned with Buddha's hair. It stands on a gold-gilded boulder
precariously perched at the edge of the cliff 1,100 km. above
sea level. The gold covered boulder is in the rough shape of a
man's head, representing the head of a hermit. The boulder,
which appears to be constantly in danger of plunging down the
mountainside, seems a miracle in itself. Upon arrival in
Kyaikhto, you will spend the night at your hotel.
Day – 5. Kyaikhto- Mawlamyine
After breakfast at your hotel, you will visit the Kyaikhto train
station and be driven to Moktama, which is the end of the rail
line. There is salt train running along that line. You will
visit the Moktama Shed and, then, cross over to Moulmein. Later,
you will spend the night at your hotel in Mawlamyine.
Day – 6. Mawlamyine - Bago
After breakfast at your hotel, you will visit the town of
Mawlamyine. In the afternoon, you will return to Moktama from
where you will be driven back to Bago. Spend the night at your
hotel in Bago.
Day – 7. Bago – Nyaunglaybin
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to Pyuntasa,
which takes about five hours. There is a regular passenger train
that goes the 26 km. between Pyuntasa to Nyaunglaybin to Madauk.
Upon your arrival in Pyuntasa, it will be necessary to wait for
the passenger train that departs at 2 PM from Pyuntasa to
Nyaunglaybin to Madauk, but since the departure times are
variable, it is impossible to know what the exact time will be.
Spend the night at your hotel in Nyaunglaybin.
Day – 8. Pyinmana-Yangon
After breakfast at your hotel, you will return by train to
Yangon. There will be a few stops along the way. Spend the night
at your hotel in Yangon.
Day – 9. Yangon shopping & Departure
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be taken to the Gems
Mart and Handicrafts shops for morning shopping. You will also
be taken to the Bogyoke Aung San Market (well known for gems &
jewelry, arts & crafts, fabrics & fashions and local products)
where you can buy you last-minute souvenirs. You will then be
transferred to airport for your departure.
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